To walk or not to walk
 

I've been recovering for almost 4 weeks now. Overall I've gone from feeling about 3/10 to feeling about 7/10 (this is good), with a couple of quite good stretches of 2-3 days each, and some middling stretches, but I've also had a couple of minor setbacks and one moderate setback.

The moderate setback came during week 2 when I had been feeling a lot better, and had had a more active day (2 walks + some activities around the house), but I completely blew it by socializing with extended family that evening and picking up my 45-lb nephew a few times. In retrospect, totally dumb, but I'm much wiser now :)

I felt horrible the next day, but started to feel better again within a few days. Once somewhat better (say, 6.5 - 7/10), I typically start doing a little more around the house (trips up and down the staircase, more time in the kitchen preparing meals and doing dishes, a bit more time with my family, a bit more reading/emailing/making phone calls, etc). I also start gradually increasing the length of my outdoor walks (from 10 mins extremely slow to 15 mins a bit less slow to 20 mins getting closer to normal speed, etc).

What seems to happen is that at some point, I do just a bit too much - a slightly longer walk, the extra trip or two downstairs and upstairs in the condo, hauling a bag of garbage to the chute, a visit with my girlfriend after a day of light activity, etc. For a normal person, this would be a very easygoing day, but for me, it can really set me back, anywhere from a day to 3-4 days.

This happened again this week. During the early part of the week I had been feeling quite a bit better, and when I went walking on Wednesday, I felt more like myself and extended my walk from about 15 mins to almost 30 mins, then went on a low-key picnic that night with my girlfriend. This seemed to cause another minor setback, and it's taken me a good couple of days just to start feeling OK again.

My question is, in these circumstances is it better to slow everything down , do next to nothing and just rest for a week or so (even if I start feeling better), then very, very gradually introduce light activities again? Or should I keep up a bit of light activity (including, say 10 min slow walks outside), based on the theory that a bit of activity is good for my brain (providing circulation, oxygen, etc). I guess what I'm trying to find is a level of activity that might make my recovery more sustainable. My family encourages me to get outside for a bit but I find the lows (even if temporary) so discouraging that I'm inclined to take everything down a notch for a while.

If you are going to go for walks, try this first. Put some foam ear plugs in and go for a short walk. At first, you will notice the pounding of your foot plant. Try to soften you gait to reduce the pounding. Once you have mastered a softer walking style. Go take some walks.

You might need to find some good walking shoes. Test them out at the shoe store with the foam ear plugs. Heal cushioning will greatly help you ability to walk without the pounding. Those Sketchers with the rounded heals may be a good try.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mark. I will give this a try.

Running shoes w/ cushioning
 

OK, just received a new pair of Asics Cumulus running shoes from my local running store (the owners tend to know their stuff, and recommended them). They seem to have a lot more cushioning than the hiking shoes I'd been using. Looking forward to trying them out on one of my short and slow walks. Baby steps...

Did you try the foam ear plugs to get a feel for the impact of your gait?

It really is an eye opener. My running gate is much softer than my walking gait.

I wore Asics Tigers back in the early 1970's. Back then, they were known for being the lightest shoes but had no heal cushioning at all. They were great for running in wet conditions since they did not absorb much water. I had to wear heal protector cups to prevent heal bruising. Today's shoes are so much better. I have a nice pair of New Balance shoes. My road test of them was focused on the heal plant impact. Not much at all.